Co-operative Care: The Case for Worker Co-operative Elder Care in Ireland

Ireland’s population age profile is forecasted to increase over the coming decades which will have implications for the care responsibilities of families and the state. However, there is a paucity of quality elder care in Ireland. Elder care worker co-operatives could contribute to meeting this shortfall in supply. This study examines the impact of co-owned elder care provision in Ireland. A case study approach is employed with the Great Care Co-op (GCC) being the case selected. The findings emphasise that the GCC provides a quality service to its care recipients. The care-worker members and family members of care recipients both believe that the standard of care provided is superior to that of a conventional investor-owned care provider. The findings also indicate that the governance structure of the GCC facilitates the delivery of a more responsive service. Both family members of care recipients and care-worker members believe that this is attributed to the Great Care Co-op being a co-operative. This research is innovative in that most of the key stakeholders are interviewed, including: care-worker members, a care recipient, family members of care recipients and representatives of the Health Services Executive (HSE) who liaise with the GCC regarding the provision of care for older people.